In Another Life
by Kit Merlot
Summary: Chloe, Lex and that summer in the Safe House--do you need any more then that? : :


Title: In Another Life  
Author: Kathy  
Rating: PG 13  
Pairings: Chlex  
Spoilers: None this short story is totally AU  
Category: Romance/General  
Summary: Chloe, Lex and the Safe House--again, do you need any more then that? :):)  
Disclaimer: This story is purely for fun and no profit. I don't own Smallville or any of its characters.  
A/N: Originally posted at **Naughty-Seduction** the Chlex fan site.  
This is my entry for the July Challenge "The Safe House" at NS. All fics have to pertain to the given theme, and be between 800 to 1000 words, and Chlex has to be at the center of the story. Please tell me what you think.

Once upon a time, in another life, Lex Luthor and Chloe Sullivan fell madly in love, and when they were asked when their romance began they would always smile at each other and say: "The Safe House."

The safe house was the first time in the year that they were working together to stop his father that Lex had truly feared for Chloe's life.

And it was in that fear that he understood the depth of his feelings for the blonde reporter.

So in typical Lex Luthor thinking, he tried to emotionally pull away from his feelings, but Chloe wouldn't let him.

"Lex, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lex had looked up startled at Chloe's angry tone, and felt his own temper snapping back. "Trying to keep you safe."

Chloe, not in the least bit intimidated, stared him down. "From your father, or from you?"

When Lex didn't answer, Chloe had rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Lex, don't even try to say that you're anything like Lionel Luthor. If you were, you would have left me and my dad to fend for ourselves. You're a good person and don't ever forget it."

He hadn't believed her at first, but slowly, through his weekly visits, Lex had begun to understand that Chloe truly trusted him with her life and the life of her father.

They didn't have long drawn out conversations on the subject, but Chloe would give Lex the letters she'd written to her dad, knowing that he would see to it that they were delivered.

That had humbled him to his very core, and he carried the duty out faithfully.

When the danger passed and Chloe and Gabe were allowed to return to Smallville, Lex had again tried to pull away, and again, Chloe stopped him.

She would show up unexpectedly at the Mansion or his office at the crap factory, and she'd hand him a letter she's written, but this time it would be addressed to him.

The letters wouldn't be overly sappy, but rather, they would be just like the letters she'd written in the safe house: full of the mundane aspects of life, but it was Chloe's way of letting him know she was alive and well.

And because Chloe was writing it, the letters were witty and full of life, and Lex treasured them all.

They communicated by hand written letters for most of Chloe's senior year until the day of her graduation, when Lex finally realized that he wanted more and asked her out on a date.

She'd refused, and it wasn't until he sent her an engraved invitation to dinner that she'd accepted a date with him.

The only person who understood why Chloe and Lex would leave each other long, hand written letters was Gabe.

The letters were Chloe and Lex's way of remembering all that they might have lost and all that they had found in each other.

**Present Day**

Lex Luthor stared at Chloe Sullivan through the plexiglass of the Metropolis jail.

His trial was starting tomorrow, and the only interview he granted was to The Daily Planet's star reporter, Chloe Sullivan.

His lawyer questioned the wisdom in Lex's speaking to the woman whose expose on his crimes against humanity was what lead to the investigation into his projects and experiments, which in turn lead to his being arrested.

But he couldn't hate her. She had always been a resourceful investigator and formidable opponent, who never gave up until the truth was revealed.

She covered Metropolis' crime beat, and her investigations usually involved reporting on corruption in the city's political structure, she also uncovered Luthorcorp's and their competitors unsavory business deals.

Unlike the dynamic duo of Lane and Kent, Chloe didn't target Lex and his company because he was an easy victim, rather she went after him when she had proof that he'd done something illegal.

Lois and Clark, on the other hand, wrote articles based on hearsay and innuendo about all of his alleged evil doings without a shred of proof.

Lex would then sue Lois and Clark and the Daily Planet for libel and defamation of character, and it happened enough times that Lane and Kent were made laughing stocks of in the journalism world.

But it was Chloe, through years of quietly and meticulously gathering evidence on 33. 1 and Black Creek, who managed in a series of articles, to destroy Lex's benevolent businessman facade and show the world his dangerous obsession with meteor freaks.

She also gave the Daily Planet back it's credibility.

Chloe stared back at Lex and waited for him to speak, noting with a slight twinge of conscience, that he looked exhausted.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Chloe, do you remember the safe house?"

Chloe was startled by this opening topic, but she answered gamely. "Yes, I remember it well. You still had your humanity then."

He didn't flinch, but he couldn't hide the flicker of pain that crossed his face at her words. "That was before I knew how dangerous meteor freaks could be."

He paused briefly before adding, "Present company excluded of course."

Chloe's smiled bitterly through her sarcasm.. "Thanks ever so much."

She looked wearily around the visitors room before asking, "Why are you asking me about the safe house? That was a million years ago."

"Sometimes I feel like it was yesterday," he answered softly. "I still have all of those letters you wrote me."

"I burned mine the day after graduation when you asked Lana Lang on a date" she retorted sharply.

Lex winced, knowing that had been his crucial error, and the minute it all started going wrong for him. He'd chosen the wrong woman, and lived to regret it.

He tried again, wanting Chloe to understand what he was trying to tell her. "Do you ever think, in another life..." He broke off, not quite sure what to say.

But Chloe surprised him by whispering, so low he wasn't quite sure he heard her correctly, "Everyday."


End file.
